OpenAI is strengthening its global affairs operation in the US with three new appointments aimed at expanding its work on state-level policy, Axios reported.
The appointments come as efforts to establish rules governing artificial intelligence gather pace across US states. The new recruits bring experience from both Republican and Democratic political circles, as well as from major technology companies.
Who are OpenAI's new hires?
According to a report by Axios, Jessica Schumer, who previously served as chief of staff at the Council of Economic Advisers during the Obama administration, will be responsible for OpenAI's policy and partnership efforts across the Northeast.
Schumer, who is the daughter of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, most recently worked at Amazon, where she headed the company's public policy operations in New York.
Caulder Harvill-Childs, formerly responsible for public policy at Meta, has been appointed to oversee state policy and partnerships in the Southeast. A Republican policy specialist, he previously worked with Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns.
Thomas MacLellan will focus on state cyber defence policy for OpenAI. His career spans more than two decades in cybersecurity and public policy, including senior roles at Palo Alto Networks, Symantec, FireEye and the National Governors Association.
OpenAI's 'reverse federalism' strategy
The appointments come as OpenAI faces an expanding number of AI-related legislative initiatives at the state level.
Under chief lobbyist Chris Lehane, the company has adopted what he describes as a "reverse federalism" strategy. The approach involves working with large and influential states to encourage the adoption of similar AI rules, potentially resulting in standards that effectively apply across the country.
The strategy also allows technology companies to navigate the regulatory landscape while Congress struggles to introduce comprehensive federal technology legislation.
OpenAI has already played a role in shaping AI transparency laws in California and New York.
Nvidia plans $12.93 billion Hugging Face acquisition
Meanwhile, Nvidia is set to acquire developer platform Hugging Face for $12.93 billion as it seeks to strengthen its position in the rapidly expanding open AI model ecosystem, Reuters reported.
The chipmaker is already a major participant in the US open AI market through its widely used Nemotron model and its public backing for open AI development. The acquisition would give Nvidia direct access to a platform where developers collaborate, experiment with and share AI tools.
Hugging Face's developer community and platform could also provide Nvidia with valuable insights and data as it seeks to close the gap with leading AI companies in both the US and China.
